Planned Parenthood to close two Cincinnati-area clinics

Monday

Sep 9, 2019 at 2:47 PMSep 9, 2019 at 4:24 PM

Planned Parenthood is closing two of its Cincinnati-area clinics, citing “relentless state and federal attacks” against abortion providers.

The announcement follows Planned Parenthood’s recent decision to forgo federal Title X funding rather than follow new gag-rule restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The directive prohibits clinics that receive the taxpayer support from giving abortion referrals to their patients.

The two clinics, which do not perform abortions, are in Springdale and Western Hills. Both will close Sept. 20, leaving one family-planning health center and one surgical center operated by Planned Parenthood in Cincinnati.

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Kersha Deibel, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio region, blamed the closures on regulations imposed by state and federal officials. A funding cutoff by the state took effect earlier this year.

“This is the world they want to see: one where women lose access to birth control, where information about how to access abortion is held hostage, and where, if you don’t have money, it’s almost impossible to access an STI (sexually transmitted infection) test or a cancer screening,” Deibel said.

She said that Ohio lawmakers have passed 22 “anti-women’s-health measures” in recent years, part of an ongoing effort to “chip away” at abortion rights. Those include defunding Planned Parenthood and most recently banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, although the latter law is on hold pending a legal challenge.

“Don’t ever believe your vote doesn’t count,” said Aaron Baer, president of the Cincinnati-based Center for Community Values. “Instead of Ohio taxpayer dollars flowing to the abortion industry, now more funds can go to clinics that actually help women and low-income families. In fact, there are 378 federally qualified health centers in Ohio that provide an entire host of medical care to families, without also pushing harmful and deadly abortion.”

Stephanie Ranade Krider, vice president and executive director of Ohio Right to Life, said women in southwestern Ohio in need of care have other options.

"It’s obvious that Planned Parenthood needs women more than women need them. With other options outnumbering Planned Parenthood 17 to 1, Ohio’s health-care community stands ready to support all women in the greater Cincinnati area," she said.

State Sen. Cecil Thomas, D-Avondale, disagreed and said the closures will result in harm to the health of thousands of people, "especially women of color."

"This is the result of the national and state GOP’s longtime efforts to methodically dismantle women’s reproductive rights. Their actions are putting lives at risk. These centers provide cancer screenings, birth control and regular checkups to women of all backgrounds and of all means," Thomas said. "Republicans’ obsession with controlling women’s bodies will continue to make it harder for women to receive the basic care they need to stay healthy.”

ccandisky@dispatch.com

@ccandisky

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